“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given,
and the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
(Isaiah 9:6)
Most Reverend Archpastors of our Orthodox Church in Moldova,
Reverend and Venerable Clergy of the Holy Altar,
Beloved Monastics,
Faithful Christians,
I address this pastoral letter on the joyous occasion of the Bright feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, as an invitation to draw closer to Him, the Lord of Peace, whose government is upon His shoulder and who is born to us as a Child.
Let us draw near to Him by elevating our minds, opening our hearts and souls, and through prayer and partaking of Him in the Holy Liturgy. He has drawn near to us. God – “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), to show us how much He desires that we also draw near to one another with love and kindness. In the Acts of the Apostles, the Apostle Peter, speaking in the house of Cornelius the centurion about Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all humanity and all nations, says, “He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed” (Acts 10:38).
Celebrating the Nativity of the Lord should not be limited to wearing new clothes to look festive or preparing lavish meals to indulge ourselves. Let us remember those who lack festive attire or even clothes to wear every day. Let us not eat our fill without alleviating someone else’s hunger. True celebration begins with acknowledging the Son of God’s call to do good, to show solidarity, and to bring peace, encouragement, hope, and comfort to those overwhelmed by the tragedies of life.
“What you do for the least of these, you do for Me,” says the Lord in the Holy Gospel. Let us learn to do good. Let us practice kindness so that the light we bring into someone’s life may illuminate our own path toward Christ, just as the star once guided those seeking the Child to bring Him gifts. Beyond the profound theological meaning of the Magi’s gifts, the very act of giving them, carefully recorded by the Evangelist Matthew, teaches us that we are true Christians when we offer both spiritual and material gifts necessary for others’ lives. Every gift should be accompanied by selflessness, which dispels selfish interests and fills our hearts with the pure desire to live out the Lord’s command to love our neighbour as ourselves. Let us strive spiritually for the gift He offers: divinization, entering into and living with God in His Kingdom.
Beloved spiritual sons and daughters,
On the feast of the Nativity of the Saviour, my thoughts turn to each of you – those at home and those far away in the diaspora – with a fatherly exhortation to cultivate kindness. May the kindness that stirs within us on this wonderful celebration of the Lord’s Nativity fill all our souls and accompany us every day throughout the years, so that we may always bring joy, hope, and light wherever we go. May our hearts overflow with love, and may kindness reach everywhere: public and private institutions, kindergartens and schools, hospitals and care homes, prisons, and every place in our country and the world. Whether we work in these places or simply visit, let us make them clean and holy spaces free of envy, hypocrisy, corruption, and other moral depravities. Let them be as hospitable as the humble cave in Bethlehem, which, in its coolness, warmly welcomed God and those who sought Him to worship Him.
With archpastoral blessings, I wish you a holy celebration of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose name is Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14), meaning “God is with us.”
God is with us – let us understand, nations, and bow before Him, for God is with us!
With wishes of joyous
and blessed holidays!
With archpastoral and fatherly blessings,
METROPOLITAN OF CHIȘINĂU AND ALL MOLDOVA
Nativity of the Lord,
Year of Salvation 2024/2025,
Chișinău